Goodison fortress awaits AEK

AEK Athens FC visit Merseyside for the second time for their opening match in UEFA Europa League Group I, where they will face an Everton FC side yet to lose home or away against Greek opposition.

Previous meetings

• The two sides have never met. Everton's two previous home games against Greek opponents ended in a win and a draw, while AEK's record on English soil consists of a win and three defeats.

• Everton beat Larissa FC, then the Greek Cup holders, 3-1 in Liverpool in the UEFA Cup group stage two seasons ago under David Moyes. Tim Cahill, Leon Osman and Victor Anichebe scored the goals.

• Although Everton have never lost a match to a Greek side, they suffered an away-goals defeat in the European Champion Clubs' Cup quarter-final in 1970/71 after two draws with Panathinaikos FC.

• AEK met Everton's neighbours Liverpool FC in the 1972/73 UEFA Cup second round, losing 3-0 at Anfield and 3-1 at home to the eventual competition winners that season.

Match background

• Everton claimed maximum points in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup group stage, eventually losing out to ACF Fiorentina on penalties in the round of 16. AEK appeared in two UEFA Cup group stage campaigns, missing the cut in 2004/05 but reaching the last 32 three years later.

• Everton have not lost a European home game since going down 2-1 against Villarreal CF in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. Their subsequent eight Goodison Park ties have produced six wins and two draws.

• AEK have won just one of their last eleven UEFA club competition away fixtures, beating FK Mladá Boleslav 1-0 in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup group stage.

Team facts

• AEK coach Dušan Bajević played in three games against English opposition, scoring once in a 4-1 win against Derby County FC with FK Velež. He also appeared in both legs of AEK's 1979/80 European Champion Clubs' Cup second-round tie against Nottingham Forest FC.

• AEK lost the first leg 2-1 at home and the second leg 5-1 in England, with Bajević the scorer of the away goal at the City Ground. That was AEK's most recent meeting against an English team.

• During his time as a coach Bajević has come up against three English sides, Liverpool and Newcastle United FC when at the helm of Olympiacos FC and Bolton Wanderers FC during his reign at Aris Thessaloniki FC.

• Former Everton player and manager Howard Kendall went on to coach Greek club Skoda Xanthi FC in 1994 after his second spell in charge at Goodison Park.

• AEK are the only Greek side to have reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals, bowing out to eventual winners Juventus at that stage in 1976/77.

• AEK stands for Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos (Athletic Union of Constantinople). The club were founded by refugees from Istanbul.

• AEK have had four English coaches: Jack Bimby (1948-51), Ted Crawford (1953-54), Stan Anderson (1973-74) and John Barnwell (1983-84).

• AEK are next at home to SL Benfica on Matchday 2, while Everton face a long trip to FC BATE Borisov on the same night, 1 October.